While You Are Coding

Coding is an intensely creative act that happens through instincts / nonconscious thoughts and the active thoughtful application of principles.

Listen to Your Lizard Brain

The first trick is to notice that it’s happening; then work out why. You may not be able to, but try to crystallize it into something solid that you can address. Let your instincts contribute to your performance.

• fear of the blank page is usually caused by
• some kind of important doubt lurking below perception
• you might be afraid you’ll make a mistake
• how to figure out what’s lurking below perception?
• let your subconscious brain process the problem by doing something else away from the keyboard
• try externalizing the issue: rubber duck, doodle
• maybe even prototype around the problem space giving you disease; this context switch can help you work through it
• in other people’s code, notice what give you pause so that you can lean from the person who wrote it